Pearl Jam helps bid adieu to ‘Friends’

Marks first time band licensed song for a television show

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NEW YORK — The music heard as Jennifer Aniston’s character Rachel was about to board a plane to Paris in last week’s final episode of “Friends” might have sounded familiar, but its usage was an unfamiliar situation for the artist in question.

In fact, the snippet of Pearl Jam’s “Yellow Ledbetter” used in the scene marked the first time the veteran Seattle rock act had ever licensed its songs for a television show.

According to a group spokesperson, it was simply a matter of the show’s producers asking permission, which Pearl Jam granted. Although never included on an album until last year’s rarities collection “Lost Dogs,” “Yellow Ledbetter” has taken on a life of its own since its release as a B-side in 1992. The cut wound up appearing on seven Billboard charts in the mid-’90s, despite never being worked to radio.

Pearl Jam is preparing to end its break from the road and the studio, following an extensive 2003 tour in support of its latest studio album, “Riot Act.” The group is discussing how it may get involved with voter registration efforts as the U.S. presidential election approaches, including possible live appearances.